Re: Lewis and Bronsted-Lowry base

Angelo wrote: 
Lloyd Parker wrote:

In article <sVhve.9413$hK3.7415@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
  "John Doe III" <john_doeIII@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I guess your reasoning about the NO3(-) is right, NO3(-) can accept a
proton to form HNO3 i.e. a Bronsted-Lowry base which is equiavlent to
saying it is donating a pair of electrons to H(+), hence a Lewis base.
The question is ambiguous.



Techically spesking I don't see that ambiguity.


Thank you so much. I guess the author overlooked the fact that NO3- is a
lewis base and a bronsted-Lowry base albeit a very weak one.



It is not a Bronstead base. 


Why? (surely not based on Broensted-Lowry definition)


It has no proton-accepting ability.  HNO3 does
not exist -- nitric acid is 100% ionized in water.



I'd say that HNO3 (in water) does exists, although its concentration
is too low, and so not measurably detectable. IIRC K_a(HNO3)
has been estimated to be less than 10^2.

Best regars,
Angelo


If I remember correctly, T. F. Young and A. A. Krawetz got (via Raman spectroscopy) a concentration (not activity) based Ka of about 60. Still makes it a very strong acid. HClO_4 is about 150 or so.
FK
.

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